Cessna 150M accident near Paterson, Washington, August 15, 1996
On August 15, 1996, a Cessna 150M, registered N3882V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paterson, Washington (Columbia Crest Winery airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during a landing, which resulted in an uncontrolled ground loop/swerve. Factors relating to the accident were: the gusty crosswind condition, and soft terrain beside the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1996
- Place
- Paterson, Washington · Columbia Crest Winery · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N3882V · no longer on the register · serial 15076644
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot landed at an airstrip that was not on his planned itinerary for a multi-leg cross-country solo flight. He stated to the airplane owner that he had 'ground-looped' when landing at an airstrip near a winery. During the occurrence, the airplane contacted soft, sandy soil, where the nose landing gear collapsed and the right wingtip struck the ground. The FAA determined that the student had a passenger on board at the time of the accident. The passenger described a loss of control during the approach and landing. The winds were gusty at the time of the occurrence.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 20 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,600 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 11 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.